Comb



May 1, 1951 D. P. IESERSEK 2,551,131

COMB

Filed June 3, 1948 Patented May 1, 1951 f UNITED STATES PATENT GFFICE COMB Dante Persione Iesersek, Mamaroneck, N. Y.

Application June 3, 1948, Serial No. 30,751

3 Claims.

f l This invention relates to improvements in combs, particularly the structure of the teeth thereof, and also to al novel comb structure wherein means are included for, upon occasion, removing damaged teeth thereof.

It is an object of this invention to provide a new and improved comb structure having. improved combing or untangling characteristics.

It is another object of the invention to provide a new and improved comb in which the teeth thereof have a smooth rounded end and which at the same time have improved flexibility characteristics.

It is among objects of the present invention to provide a new and improved comb structure wherein each of the teeth is individually set in parts ofthe handle portion whereby, upon occasion, as for instance when certain of the teeth are damaged, teeth can be removed from the handle and replaced or repaired.

It is also an object of the present inventionV to provide a novel comb of the type hereinbefore referred to, whereby portions of the teeth cooperate with internal parts of the handle to provide a unitary, strong but resilient structure adapted to withstand rough handling and use.

It is among the features of the novel comb according to the present invention that each of the teeth comprising the comb is formed of bent wire receivable within parts of the handle whereby, upon occasion, and without the use of other than ordinary tools, certain of the teeth can be conveniently removed and repaired or replaced without affecting any of the other teeth of the comb or materially altering the handle assembly.

It is'among the features of the novel comb according to the present invention that it is simple in, construction and comprises relatively few and easily formed parts .whereby economies of manufacture and assembly are facilitated.

Other objects, features and advantages of the novel comb structure according to the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art during the course of the following description.'

In accordance with this invention the comb is constructed with U-shaped teeth in which the ends of the legs of the U are attached to the handle of the comb.

Regarded in certain of its aspects, the present invention includes a novel comb structure comprising a perforate bar-like handle portion adapted to receive and hold a plurality of teeth, each comprising a U-shaped bent wire and means cooperating with the free end portions of said U-shaped teeth adapted to .hold same in engagement with portionsof said handle.

In order to facilitate a fuller and more complete understanding of the matter of the present` invention a specific embodiment thereof, herein1 illustrated, will be hereinafter described, it being clearly understood however that the illustrated `embodiment is given solely by way of example and is essentially non-limitative.

Referring, then, to the drawings- Figure l is substantially a perspective view of a comb constructed in accordance with this inyvention;

Figure 2 is substantially a perspective View of a modiedembodiment of the present invention;

Figure 3 is substantially an exploded perspective View of a handle structure and one of the teeth of the comb vshown in Figure 2; and

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view taken through a portion of the handle of the comb shown in Figure 2, showing one of th-e teeth in position.

Referring no w particularly to Figure 1 there is shown a comb having a handle 5- and teeth 6. The handle of the comb may be constructed in any preferred usual way. The teeth 6 of the comb extend therefrom in spaced substantially parallel relationship, and are Uv-shaped, having legs 1 and 8 and the closed end portion 9. The ends of the legs 'l and 8 are attached to the handle so that the curved or rounded closed end portion gforms the end of each tooth.

The comb may be constructed of any desired material such as, for instance, plastic, hard rub- I ber or metal. According to the broader aspects of the invention the ends of the legs 'l and 8 of the teeth 6 may be attached to the handle 5 in any well known way. Forinstance, if the comb is made of plastic or hard rubber and is molded, the teeth may be molded as part of the handle so that the comb has a unitary structure and the legs of the teeth are permanently attached thereto.

The teeth 6 are attached to the handle 5 so that the plane of each tooth through the legs l and 8 is at an angle preferably 90 or normal to the longitudinal axis of the handle 5. It will be apparent, however that while a angle is preferred, the teethmay be attached to the comb so that the plane of the tooth is at an angle somewhat less than 90 with respect to the handle.

When the teeth 5 are constructed in this way the closed rounded end portion 9 of each tooth forms a, smooth surface'when the comb is used so that the teeth slide smoothly across the scalp of the user. Alsothe legs 1 and 8 of the U- shaped teeth permit great flexibility of each tooth. Thus, while the comb has the beneficial characteristics of a wide tooth having a rounded endportion it, at the same time, has the great flexible characteristics of a narrow tooth so that each tooth will yield in passing through the hair and *avoid the undesirable catching in any knotted or tangled hair strands. In this way there is provided a comb which effectively untangles strands of hair smoothly and comfortably without digging or catching'. Y'

While, according to the broader aspects of this invention the comb is provided with U- shaped teeth extending in spaced substantially parallel relationship from they handle with the ends of the legs of the U attached` thereto, the construction may be readily adapted to modications in which individual teeth may be separately removed. Thus a broken tooth may readily be replaced by a new tooth. A structure in accordance with this modification. may.` be as follows.

The handle of the comb, generally designated at I0, comprises a pair of mutually coextensive bar-like members II and I2, preferably united by means including dowel pins I3, I and` I mounted in openings formed in the member II and receivable in openings I6, I'I and I8 formed in the vmember I2. It will, of course, be understoodthat fastening means other than dowel pins for attaching the handle elements to each other can be employed if preferred.

The top surface of the lower member I2 is channeled throughout the length thereof as designated by the numeral I9. A plurality of openings, some of which are designated by the numeral 2U, are provided in the member I2 along the sides of the channel I9 formed therein substantially asv shown, saidopenings being arranged in pairs in spaced substantially parallel relationship.

The openings 20 pass through the member I2 and are adaptedto. receive free end portions- 2I. of U-shaped teeth elements, one of which is designated byA the. numeral 22,. said free ends being passed upwardly through said openings and` bent toward each other, the curved ends 23 beingpositioned within the channel il?)Y substantiallyv as shownv in Figure 4'. When assembled, the upper portion II ofthe handlev I8 pressesV upon the curved free ends 2% of the teeth, thereby rmly holding same in substantially fixed position.

When itis desiredto remove one of the teeth from engagement with the handle I, the. free ends, of said selected tooth are bent upwardly and-the U-shaped tooth withdrawn throughthe A new tooth can be fittedY in they openings 2G. handle by reversing the procedure.

A special feature. of the. comb according to the present invention is that the curved, roundedend portions of the U-shaped teeth normally do not irritate the scalp of the user as do pointed teeth of combs of the ordinary type. It will,.of course, be understood that this feature of theY novel comb according to the present invention can be retained while dispensing the feature of individually removable teeth by forming thev teeth from an essentially continuous length of wire, that is to say, the wire is continued from one'tooth to the next throughthe channel I9 in the handle, or, if preferred, the wire can be formed to present teeth as illustrated and the. handle thereafter cast around the end portions to forma unitary permanent structure.

It is to be understood that this improvement is capable of extended application and is not conned to the exact showing of the drawings nor to the precise construction described and, therefore, such changes and modifications may be made therein as to not affect the spirit of theinvention nor exceed the scope thereof as ex-V pressed in the appended claims.

What is claimed is: 1. An improved comb of the type described comprising a composite handle portion, saidhandle portion comprising a pair of mutually coextensive bar-like elements, means connecting said elements, one of said elements having a channel formed in a top surface thereof extending throughout substantially the whole length thereof, a plurality of openings in said element extending therethrough, terminating in the bottom surface of said channel and aligned in two substantially parallel rows, a plurality of tooth members, each comprising a U-shaped member having free extending legs recessed in said openings formed in said handle element, said free endslbeing bent in said channel in said element, and being firmly held in the channel by the other element in substantially fixed position with teeth projecting from said handle in spaced substantially parallel relationship.

2. An improved comb of the type described comprising, a compound handle portion, said handle portion comprising first and second mutually (3o-extensive bar-like elements, means connecting said elements, the rst of said elements having a plurality of openings therein extending therethrough and aligned in two substantially parallel rows, a plurality of tooth members, each comprising a U-shaped member having freely extending legs received in said openings formed in said handle, the ends of said legs being bent, and being held transversely between the two barlike elements, said teeth thereby being firmly held-and projecting from said handle in spaced substantially parallel relationship, a plane through each pair of legs of the U being substantially normal to the longitudinal axisof said handle.

.3. An improved comb of the type described comprising a composite handle portion, said handle portion comprising a pair of mutually coextensive bar-like elements, means connecting said elements comprising a plurality of dowel pins carried in one of .said elements, receivable in and engageable` with complementary positioned openings formed in the other element, one of said elements having a channel formed in a top surface thereof extending throughout substantially the whole length thereof, a plurality ofv additionalropenings: in said element extending therethrough terminating in the bottom surface of said channel and aligned in two substantially parallel rows, a plurality of tooth memberseach comprising -a U-shaped member having free extending legs received in said openingsV formed in said handle element, said free ends' being bent in said channel, andbeing firmly. held therein by the other elementl in substantially xed positionY with teeth projecting from said handle in spaced substantially parallel relationship.

DANTE- PERSIONE IESERSEK.

REFERENCE SA CITED' The following references are of record in the file'v of` thisI patent: i

UNITED STATES PATENTS- Number Name Date 662,305- Rheinberg Nov; 20, 1900 802,687 Fowler'et al. Oct. 24, 1905' 1,882,658 Feltham Oct. 18, 1932- 2,491,708 BradleyI Dec. 20, 1.949

FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 690,061v France June 10, 193i)` 

